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OPERATING ORDNANGE. 1

No. 407,018. Patented July 16, 1-889.

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v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. C. KOERNER. OPERATING ORDNANGE. No. 407,018Patented July 16, 1889.

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ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE HOTCHKISS LONDON, ENGLAND.

ORDNANOE COMPANY, (LIMITED,) OF

OPERATING ORDNANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,018, dated July 16,1889.

Application filed December 18, 1885. Serial No. 186,055. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED CHRISTOPHER KOERNER, a subj ect of the Queenof England, residing at Paris, in the Republic of France,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Naval Carriages forRapid- Firing and other Guns, fully described and represented in thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawings, forming apart ofthe same.

Rapid-firing guns for naval service require a carriage of special designwhich offers the greatest facilities for rapid pointing of the gun, andin which thepointing and firing of the same are within the control ofthe hands of a single man, in order to obtain the greatest accuracy offire under the continual movements of the vessel carrying the gun andthe.changing position of a moving enemy. The gun, in fact, to be highlyefficient must be always ready for firing, and, as the rapidity offiring a gun of this class is entirely dependent on the rapidity andfacility with which it is possible to point it, devices accomplishingthese ends areof especial importance and utility.

The carriage herein described is arranged for the Hotchkiss rapid-firinggun; but it can by slight modifications be adapted to the Nordenfelt orany other system of gun.

The carriage is constructed 011 the wellknown Albini principle withrespect to a recoil mechanism, consisting of a hydraulic cylinderconnected to two rocking arms, the lower end of each of which isjournaled to a base-plate, and the upper end of each of which acts as atrunnion-bearing for the gun.

The invention comprises a structure and combinations of parts whereby aswiveling frame turning upon a stationary bed or pivotplate is made tocarry all of the movable parts of the carriage and the gunin combiningtherewith a shoulder-piece for training the gun horizontally, anelevating mechanism for training the gun vertically, clips 5 for guidingthe horizontal movements, and means for locking the swiveling-platestationary.

The invention also includes an improved construction of the cylinder ofthe hydraulic recoil device, and further comprises an auxil-' 5o iaryspring-recoil device connected with the rocking trunnion-arms, and ameans for securing a parallel motion of the gun during recoil, all ofwhich is specifically hereinafter pointed out.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is aplan view, illustrating my improved naval carriage mounting aI-Iotchkiss rapid-firing gun. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on lines x yof Fig. 1, showing in detail the rocking arms to which the hydrauliccylinder is connected. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation ofthe hydraulic cylinder.

The bed-plate 1 and pivot2 consist of a single casting, which is boltedto the deck or other suitable part of the vessel. Upon the same ismounted a swiveling frame 3, which carries all the moving parts of thecarriage. Its forward end is turned up to form supporting-arms 4, inwhich is pivoted the hydraulic cylinder 5. This frame is free to swingabout the pivot 2, having one or morerollers 6 under its front end tofacilitate movement,

while it is held to the bed-plate by a front 7 clip 7 and a rear clip 8,each bearing under a flange of the bed-plate. The rear clip 8 is fittedwith a screw-clamp 9 to hold and' set the gun inany desired position oftraining, if required.

The gun is mainly supported by the rocking arms 10 10, whose upper endsform the trunnion-bearings, their lower ends being pivoted to theswiveling frame 3. These arms 10 10 are connected by ribs and by atubular hearing 11, (see Fig. 3,) which latter forms the axis whichreceives the outerend of the hydraulic piston.

The movement of the rocking arms 10 10, and consequently of the gunitself, is controlled, first, by the piston of the hydraulic cylinder,which is secured to them and regulates the recoil, and, second, by twovolute springs 12 12, each let into a boss 13, provided 011 the frame 3,which springs are borne 9 5 upon by arms 14 14, that project rearwardfrom the rocking arms 10 10. The said springs 12 12 act in the firstplace to check the recoil, and in the second place to force the gun backto its original position after fir- The elevating and parallel motionapparatus consists of a main bar 15, whose forward endpivots on the axis16 of the rocking trunnion-arms 1O 10, while its rear end has pivoted toit the elevating-screw 17, which latter engages the internal threads ofa second screw 18, whose outer threads run in a nut 19, secured to theswiveling frame 3. The upper end of the second screw 18 is provided witha hand-wheel 20 for operating it, the screws 17 and 18 beingrespectively right and left handed, in order that a great rapidity ofmotion may be obtained. A parallel-motion bar 21 connects the main'elevating-bar 15 with the breech of the gun. Projecting from the rear ofthe swiveling frame 3 is a shoulderpiece 22, by means of which the gunis trained in direction.

The gunner bears the shoulder-piece 22 to his left shoulder, while bythe hand-wheel 20 he works the elevating-screws 17 and 18 with his lefthand, and fires the gun by pulling the lanyard 30 with his right hand,said lanyard being connected with any suitable firing device. By thisarrangement of carriage suffioient recoil is given to the gun to greatlyreduce the deck strains and without involving great extra weight orspace.

Neither the elevating-screws nor shoulderpiece 22 are affected by therecoil of the gun, so that the gunner is in no danger from having hishand at either point while firing. The gunner is able toelevate andtrain at the same time, while his right hand is entirely free to firethe moment his aim is on.

As hitherto made, the bore of the hydraulic cylinder for the passage ofthe piston is the same throughout the stroke. It follows that theresistance of the piston is the same at all points of the stroke. Agreat advantage is found in causing the resistance to the motion of saidpiston to increase withthe stroke. To this end the bore of the cylinder,instead of being uniformly cylindrical, as hitherto pracmeets with theleast resistance from the fluid contained in the cylinder as the strokebegins, and said resistance increases as the stroke proceeds in the sameratio as the decrease in diameter of the cylinder.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is 1. The combination, with the gun, the supporting-fram e,and the rocking trunnion-arms pivoted to the frame and supporting thegun, of the hydraulic cylinder having a piston connected to saidtrunnion-arms to resist the recoil of the gun,the bearing-arms14,extending rearward from the trunnion-arms,,and the springs 12,interposed between said arms 1 1 and the supporting-frame to resistrecoil and to restore the gun after recoil, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the gun, the supporting-frame, and the rockingtrunnion-arms pivoted to the frame and supporting the gun, of thehydraulic cylinder having a conical bore decreasing in diameter rearwardand provided with a piston connected to said trunnion-arms to resist therecoil of the gun, thebearing-arms 14, extending rearward from thetrunnion-arms, and the springs 12, interposed between said arms 14 andthe supporting-frame to resist recoil and to restore the gun afterrecoil, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the bed-plate having a pivot, of a swivelingsupporting-frame turning upon said pivot and having one or more rollerswhich travel upon the bed-plate, a front clip 7, and a rear clip 8,having a screw-clamp 9, for guiding said swiveling frame upon thebed-plate and for looking it in position, a shoulder-piece extendingrearward from the swiveling frame, the rocking arms 10, pivoted to theswiveling frame and supporting the gun at their upper ends, theelevating-bar 15, pivoted to the swiveling frame and connected to thegun by the connecting-bar 21, the screw for moving said bar 15, thehydraulic cylinder having a piston connected to the rocking arms 10, thebearingarms 14, extending rearwardly from the arms 10, and the springs12, interposedbetween the ALFRED CHRISTOPHER KOERNER.

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